


Your Boldness Stands Alone Among the Wreck

by acquiescence_ (malawi), Titti



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-01-29
Updated: 2011-01-29
Packaged: 2017-11-27 22:40:28
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 17,012
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/667272
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/malawi/pseuds/acquiescence_, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Titti/pseuds/Titti
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Jamie needs to decide about his future, he ends up in Romania and finds more than a career</p>
            </blockquote>





	Your Boldness Stands Alone Among the Wreck

**Author's Note:**

> Using statements made by JKR in interviews, we set Charlie's date of birth for December 12, 1972 and Jamie' for November 24, 2002

Ginny winced as a door banged, and then another and finally footsteps moving toward the kitchen like a stampede. Three days since the end of school, and there had been arguments, fights, silent treatments and even a few tears. Maybe the tears had been hers, but frustration was building up and quickly inside the house.

"What now?" Harry asked from the corner where he was sitting.

"Jamie is being a jerk," Al answered. "I want to stop by Diagon Alley for ten minutes, and then go see Scorpius, but can he take me? Noooo, he's too busy."

"Jamie, why don't you Apparate him there?" Ginny asked. "I'd offer, but it seems that being seen with your mother is the equivalent of social suicide."

"Because I don't bloody want to go there. He can get there by Floo," Jamie answered as he slumped down on the chair.

"I get all dirty," Al murmured.

"And I don't give a shit."

"Language," both Harry and Ginny said in unison. "Jamie, we're not asking you some great hardship, just drop him off and come back," Harry said.

"Bullshit, if you thought it wasn't a hardship, then you'd go, but then they show up out of nowhere, taking pictures. I swear they even try to get shots under my robes to see what I'm wearing," he answered. "Why is it always me? Never him. I'm not going and that's final." He stood up so fast that the chair fell backwards, but he walked out without picking it up.

Ginny sighed. "So good to have them home for the summer."

Albus sniggered. "He's done with school. He'll be here forever."

"I'm buying him a house," Harry said, chuckling, but then dropped the newspaper he was reading and got up. "Come on, Al. I'll drop you off before going to the Ministry."

Albus smiled smugly. "The Head Auror is my personal slave." He ducked as his Dad cuffed him. "Oy, watch the hair," he said, trying to smooth it out with his fingers.

Harry snorted. "It's as bad as mine and nothing can fix it. Now get moving or you're using the Floo."

Ginny watched them go, before returning to her cup of coffee. Complete peace for about three minutes, before Jamie started to bang doors again, but she ignored it and kept drinking her coffee. Sooner or later, her son would calm down. Until then, silencing spells would do.

* * *

_Jamie Potter, son of the Chosen One and current Head of the Auror division, was arrested in a bar brawl last night according to recent reports. Mr. Potter destroyed several chairs and bottles as he fought two wizards at the Leaky Cauldron. No one seems to know what started the fight. Mr. Potter was released early this morning._

When he entered the kitchen, he saw his father reading that morning's edition of the Prophet. He could easily read the headline and see his picture scowling at the world. He could also see his father was eyeing him over the top of the Prophet. He waited for something, but when nothing happened, James sat down. He should have known that his father would wait for the right moment to speak up.

"I really hope that whatever caused this was worth it." Harry said, as he folded the paper and tossed it onto the table, headline still visible. He pointed to the paper and finally looked at Jamie. "You won't be getting out so quickly, next time."

"Okay." Jamie didn't feel like explaining what had happened, it was apparent his father didn't want to know and his head was throbbing thanks to the drinking that led to the fight.

"That's all you have to say for yourself?"

"I guess so." Jamie wished for a potion or a charm for his head, or he'd settle for the silence of his room and a few hours of sleep. It was bad enough that every time he tried to leave the house, he had to deal with those reporters, with all their fucking questions and the pictures - he'd spent his entire life living in his father's shadow - he couldn't even have a proper fight without being reminded just who his father was.

"You've been home for three weeks all ready," Harry went on. "You haven't picked a team, you haven't accepted the Aurors offer, you've still not answered St. Mungo's. You've had people lined up, trying to get you to work for them, and you can't even be bothered to answer them. What's wrong with you?"

"What's wrong with me?" Jamie had to keep himself from letting his eyes roll all the way back into his head. "Must there be something wrong with me just because I haven't known from the time I was eleven that I wanted to be an Auror?"

"That's not what I said, Jamie." Harry pinched the bridge of his nose, taking just a moment to breathe, and it was obvious he was trying to remain calm - Jamie hadn't made it easy on any of them recently. "You have plenty of opportunities, more than any of your friends, and you haven't decided on anything, so what's the problem?"

"Why does it have to be a problem that I don't know what I want to do right after school?" Jamie gritted his teeth. There had been plenty of offers even before he finished at Hogwarts, Quidditch teams wanted him, Uncle Ron had been practically giddy at the idea of Jamie playing for the Canons, he'd gotten offers to join the Aurors, even a few offers for jobs out of the country, but Jamie couldn't settle on any of them.

It wasn't that he didn't like some of them, but that all of them had been made because of who he was and not because of what he could do. He also knew that no matter what he did, someone in his family had done it better. It was impossible to be _good_ at something when you came from a family of heroes, and not even a small family, but one with so many people that had all the fields covered.

"I just don't know what I want to do," he said with a sigh.

"You're going to have to make a decision, unless your plan is to fight until you're sent to Azkaban," Harry said.

"For fuck--"

"Language," Harry snapped out. "I'm getting sick and tired of your attitude, do you understand me? You get up at lunch time, leave until dinner, come home and aren't hungry, shower, leave again, and if it weren't for your arrest, I wouldn't have seen you until breakfast when you'd be going to sleep. This has to stop. While you're under my roof-"

"Harry, love, would you like some tea before lunch," Ginny said as she entered the kitchen. "Jamie, darling, what about you? Would you like some food?"

"Sure," Jamie said, surly.

"Ginny, this is important and food doesn't solve everything, no matter what your mother thinks," Harry said.

Ginny laughed. "Is that what I was doing? I thought we were going to have lunch, but if that solves all our problems, then even better." She eyed her son, before moving around to prepare some lunch. "I've spoken to your Uncle Charlie this morning," she started casually. "One of their keepers just got married, and he's got two weeks off. They've got enough people to cover for him, of course, but they wouldn't say no to an extra hand, so I told him that you could help out, so I called Uncle Percy and he said that he'll have a Portkey made for you. We should have it sometimes this afternoon. It seems that there are people working even on Saturday when it comes to these things. You can be in Romania tonight, settle in, and give your uncle a hand."

Silence fell in the room, broken by her heels on the ceramic tiles and the clinking of plates and utensils. No one said a word for three, long, interminable minutes, and then hell broke loose. Jamie stood up so abruptly that the chair fell backwards, hitting the counter before sliding forward and landing to the floor with a bang. "Are you mad? You want me to go to bloody Romania, did you lose your mind?"

"Jamie, stopped talking to your mother that way," Harry warned, but Ginny remained calm. "No, I thought that you'd want to help out your uncle." she said.

"I barely know him," Jamie answered, half screaming. "He comes home once a year for a few days."

"He's still your uncle, and he lives far away from here, in a tightly controlled reserve, with no reporters," she said as she moved closer and cupped his face. "Jamie, darling, we know how hard it is to deal with the media. We've been doing it for a long time, and it's not fair that you have to go through that, but they won't leave you alone until you make a choice, and that's no way for you to decide what you want to do for the rest of your life. You'll have some peace there, and you can decide without interference, and when you come back, you'll announce it, you'll spend the rest of the summer having fun, and come September you start working. Trust me; this is for the best and it's only two weeks." She grinned. "Besides, Charlie is a lot of fun; you'll enjoy yourself."

She tried to kissed him, but Jamie pulled away. "Mum, I'm not a child."

Ginny laughed it off. "Of course not, baby. Now, pick up your chair and sit down. Let's have lunch, and then I'll help you pack."

"Thanks, Mum," Jamie said.

She nodded. "It's my job, darling, and now I hope you two are done arguing for the day."

* * *

Jamie used the Portkey Uncle Percy had given him, even though he could have Apparated, but then his entire family was made up of control freaks and they worried about him and security. They used the fact that his father was the Head Auror as the excuse, but it had started long before that. During the summers, Jamie had been hyper-aware of Aurors always been around when he was in public.

"Are you going to stand there all day long?"

James squinted as he looked over where the voice was. "Uncle Charlie, how are you?"

"What have I told you?"

"Right, Charlie," Jamie said, chuckling.

"Is there a reason why you're just standing there?" Charlie asked.

"No aurors, no photographers. It's--" Jamie grinned. "Weird, but good weird." He finally walked toward his uncle and gave him a one arm hug, while holding his trunk with one hand. "Where should I put this?"

"In our tent, I'd say. Come this way," Charlie answered, going up the hill. "We have a good fifteen minute walk. We have a one kilometre no Apparition and no Portkey area all around the perimeter of the camp. This was as close I could get you, so you'll just have to carry it. No house elves here, but you should stay fit if you're planning on joining the league."

"Don't start with me. I don't know what I'm going to do," Jamie answered as they walked.

Charlie raised an eyebrow. "I'm not starting anything. Your mother just said that you've had offers and you were taking your time deciding which team."

"And Dad will tell you that I've got a seat in the Auror training program, and that I'm going to follow in his footsteps," James said.

"Ah," Charlie said. "So everyone has an opinion on what you should be doing, but of course they are all wrong," he said seriously. "We all know that you should be a dragon keeper. It's the best job there is."

James looked at his uncle, barely containing his anger, and then rolled his eyes, when he saw his uncle grin. "Piss off," he said, chuckling.

"Right after I get you settled in our tent," Charlie answered as they made their trek to the camp and Jamie could really settle for his visit.

* * *

When his mother had told him that he would be working with Uncle Charlie at the dragon reserve in Romania, Jamie couldn't help but think for just a moment, no matter how foolishly it sounded, that he would be getting up close and personal with the dragons. He imagined all the stories he would have when he got back about riding dragons and dodging dragon fire, and all the near death experiences he would rack up during his time on the reserve. Of course, reality was not quite so thrilling.

It wasn't like he expected to be riding dragons the first day, he wasn't stupid after all, but this was not at all what he had in mind.

"It's not that bad, really." Jamie had to do everything in his power not to roll his eyes at Mikkel, because he was pretty sure that coming all the way to Romania just so that he could take inventory was actually that bad.

"You have to know what you have here before you can know what you need out there," Mikkel said, calmly.

"We're counting cans and bags of potatoes. No one will die for lack of them," Jamie pointed out.

"That's not the point," Mikkel answered. "You get used to being precise with everything: food, potions, ingredients, safety distances from the dragons. They make you do the work so you start thinking a certain way. Everyone goes through that, it's part of the process."

"I'm only going to be here two weeks." He wasn't going to change the way he thought in two week nor what he did. He was perfect anyway.

Mikkel frowned. "Two weeks only? What's the point then? I thought you were training to become a keeper."

Jamie shook his head. "No, Charlie asked if I could help out while that bloke is on his honeymoon and I said yes."

The other boy snorted. "Help? He's an experienced keeper, but maybe Charlie wanted you here for some other reason."

It was Jamie's turn to frown. What did that mean? Everyone had an agenda; he couldn't believe that for a moment, he'd believed that Charlie had none.

* * *

Slytherins would come up with a plan, trying to figure out what dark motive had prompted his uncle to ask him here. Jamie was not a Slytherin. So his brilliant plan was to march to his uncle and ask straight out why the big lie to get him there. It was a simple plan, and yet the delivery was less than impressive. First Charlie was flying, then there were potions to put away, then there was lunch, then Charlie had some other stuff to do with the dragons while Jamie had dishes to wash and potatoes to peel for dinner. By the end of the day, Jamie couldn't remember anything about lies, plans or dragons. He wanted to get to his bed and pass out.

The next morning, things started the same way. Jamie couldn't believe that there was so much bloody work. He thought being a dragon keeper was simple and easy, very exciting too, except that he was a glorified house elf here. If it weren't for the fact that his uncle had said he needed help, he'd already Apparatated home. Suddenly the reporters didn't seem so bad. At least they came with fancy clubs and parties.

Jamie was still set on getting an explanation, but it turned out that Charlie was the one to find Jamie first. It wasn't early either. No, another day had passed and Jamie was ready for bed again, but instead he found himself face to face with his uncle, right outside their tent.

Charlie clapped a hand on his shoulder at the end of the work day and grinned. "So, how are you liking things so far?"

Jamie had never paid too much attention to Charlie over the years - oh he was kind of cool, he worked with dragons after all, what wasn't cool about that? But he'd never been around enough for Jamie to really get a feel for him. Holidays filled with people were never the best time to get to know anyone. But he seemed like a nice enough guy, if the impression Jamie had of him over the short time he'd been at the reserve was anything to go on. That didn't mean that he could trust him, either, especially after what Mikkel had implied. "It's all right I guess, bit boring actually."

Charlie laughed and nodded. "Everyone says that when they start working here - it's never what anyone pictures, but it's part of paying your dues."

"You do know I'm only here two weeks, right?" Jamie answered, still wondering if this was yet another attempt to prod him toward a specific career.

"Course, I do." Charlie winked at Jamie, leaving Jamie gobsmacked. "Doesn't mean we can't treat you like a keeper while we've got you, though."

Except he wasn't a keeper, just like he wasn't a Quidditch player, an Auror, a Healer or whatever else they had come up with this week. He hadn't been sure about this trip at first, and maybe he'd been a bit hopeful after talking to his mother, but now he was downright suspicious and angry. "But I'm not! I'm not planning to be. I came here to help you, because Mum said you needed help, but I get here, and I'm no better than a house elf. It's clear that it was a lie to get me here. So why am I here?"

"Take it easy, kid." Charlie was holding up a hand, "I thought Ginny told you why you were out here - she said you needed a break from everything at home, all the reporters and things. So maybe we didn't actually need your help with things, but I figure a chance to think about things without being followed around all the time might do you some good. Besides we can always use an extra hand with the inventory."

Yes, his Mum had said that, but she'd also said they needed his help - and that was clearly a lie. "Again, you didn't need me. And it's not better. They all look at me weird. Sure, they haven't asked for an autograph yet, but I can tell that they want to. It's like they can't wait to ask, but don't."

Charlie laughed then, he actually laughed, and Jamie scowled at him. "An autograph? Jamie - these people have no idea who you are. I know it's hard to understand, but outside of Britain, Harry Potter is not that famous, and no one is going to ask you for your autograph." Charlie was still chuckling as he went on. "I think any weird looks you're getting are because you're new and you're not staying long - we don't do that often around here." Charlie clapped a hand on his back again. "Trust me, Kid; you're imagining things."

He was not imagining anything. He had been under public scrutiny for so long that he knew when people were staring. Something was going on and if Charlie wouldn't tell him, then he'd discover it some other way. "Right, just too used to ulterior motives. I guess I'll just go to sleep. Night, Charlie." he didn't wait for a reply as he walked inside the tent and headed for his bed. He could figure this out when he wasn't so tired.

* * *

"Charlie, a moment." Serghei's voice called out from a few hundred metres away. The man was in his seventies and a native of Romania. He'd also been at the camp since Charlie had started. Back then Serghei had only been a keeper, but for the past decade, he'd been promoted to Head keeper. "How is your nephew settling down?" he asked as he got closer.

"Good. He's bitching and moaning, but no more than any new keeper in training." He grinned. "No one likes to peel potatoes. I don't know why."

Serghei chuckled. "I don't know, but I do remember a certain young redhead complaining about that, a few decades ago."

"But you didn't come to ask me about peeling potatoes," he answered. Charlie knew Serghei too well to believe that this was just a friendly chat. Everything Serghei said and did had a reason. "You might as well tell me. I'm not that young redhead anymore and I know you too well."

"No, you're more grey than red-"

"Lies," Charlie interrupted with a smirk.

"I will buy you a mirror for your birthday." Serghei started to walk, leaving Charlie to follow him away from where people were. "Do you not know what people are saying of you and your nephew?"

Charlie shrugged. "People are always saying something. This isn't any worse."

"But it is. They claim that he is your _lover_." He whispered the last word, even though no one was around. "How can you let them think that?"

"I'm not doing anything wrong, Serghei, and if they think that, well, that's their problem. I have no way to explain what a stranger is doing here, without telling them who he is, and Jamie needs a place where no one ogles him, where he's not a celebrity. He's eighteen, and he deserves a chance to be a kid." Maybe he wouldn't have to come all the way to Romania if people had acted normally in England, but they were trying to do what was best for the kid.

"It is wrong. It's wrong for the boy's reputation. You cannot let people think that," Serghei warned him.

"All right, I'll tell them, but not now. When he's ready to leave, when it won't matter who he is, because he'll be gone. I want to give him two weeks of peace. Please?" he begged.

"Okay, I will not say anything, but you will tell the others before your nephew leaves. Now, get back to work, or I might have to fire you."

Charlie chuckled. "You won't. I'm the best keeper you have."

"But getting old, my boy. You might want to steal my job," Serghei said, with a glimmer in his eyes.

Charlie laughed. "Go away, old man. I have work to do."

* * *

A week was almost over and Jamie had been pairing with Mikkel most of the times. He'd learnt that Mikkel was from Sweden, not that Jamie knew much about Sweden other than it was even colder than Scotland, or he thought so. He probably should have asked more about Mikkel's home country, but he was more interested in knowing Charlie's end game.

"So you've known Charlie for long?" Jamie asked as they catalogued brooms and flying gear. At least this was something that he was interested in. He knew brooms. He owned better brooms than this particular one, but at least flying was something that he enjoyed. And it was better than peeling potatoes.

"You look like you're making love to that broom," Mikkel said, sniggering.

Jamie flipped two fingers at him. "I'm taking care of the broom. They are like babies; they need love and caring. If you treat them well, then you can rely on them when you are in the air and bludgers are coming your way."

"Quidditch, huh?"

Jamie nodded grinning. "Chaser, pretty damn good, too. I got a few offers, but I am still trying to make up my mind about what I want do to."

"Are you mad? You have offers from pro teams and still thinking about it? You must be crazier than Charlie," Mikkel said.

"You still haven't said how long you've known him," Jamie said, trying to look casual about it.

"Since I got here, three years ago," Mikkel answered, amused. "And you should really stop with the coy act. You can ask me, you know? And the answer is no, I'm not interested in him. I'm straight."

Jamie choked as the word registered. "What?"

"Oh, please, everyone knows that you two are together. Why else would you be here?" Mikkel laughed. "Don't worry about it. We all know that Charlie is gay and no one has a problem with it. Besides, it's not even the first time that he's brought his lovers to stay with him for a few days. Not often, mind you, but he'd been in this reserve for a long time. It's happened more than once."

"He- You- I-" James Sirius Potter, most popular Gryffindor of the new century, most photographed eighteen year old in England, most eloquent teenager around, was speechless. He could only open and close his mouth, trying to make sense of what he was hearing. His uncle was gay. He was pretty sure that no one at home knew that. His gay uncle brought him here just like he had brought other lovers. His insane uncle hadn't told him any of this, asked him not to call him 'Uncle' and had been happy to make people think that they were lovers.

"I need to go," he finally said as he dropped the broom, and ran out of the tent, in search for his uncle. Jamie sped through the camp, asking people if they had seen Charlie. Of course, with the way his luck was going, Charlie was in the air with the bloody dragons.

Jamie used the time to go over what he wanted to say, everything that was wrong with the situation. When he was satisfied with his speech, he watched as the keepers flew between the dragons, herding them so they wouldn't go too far, diving and swerving to avoid the fire.

It was the first time since coming to the reserve that he had taken the time to observe not just the dragons, but the keepers too. They were all fit, regardless of gender and age, muscles defined by exercise and training, talent in the air sharpened by years and danger, and a coordination built on trust and familiarity. In short, they were beautiful to watch. He was still smiling when he saw Charlie come his way.

"They said you were looking for me," Charlie said with his usual, infuriating grin. Did the man never get upset?

Jamie's expression changed and the smile turned into a frown. "Not here. Your tent," he hissed, before turning to go exactly there. He used the walk to work himself into a state, because Charlie was annoyingly good at making you forget your trouble. As soon as they were both inside, he stared Charlie down. "You lied to me."

Charlie stood there, looking amused, not the reaction Jamie wanted. "About what, this time?"

"About everything!"

"Everything, huh? That's...a lot of things. I don't think we've talked about everything," Charlie answered, chuckling. "Jamie, maybe you want to calm down and tell me what's going on, yeah? That would make this discussion a lot easier to follow."

"You're gay," Jamie blurted out.

"Oh." Charlie sat down on the little sofa that was there and sighed. "It's not a secret, Jamie."

"You never told anyone at home," Jamie answered.

"I never told them that I wasn't either," Charlie pointed out. "I've been living here since I was eighteen, Jamie. I love my family and I enjoy coming back to see all of you, but this is my life. The people out there are my real family. They know that I'm gay and they are fine with it. That's really what matters. I never thought of it as a secret, because if I had, I wouldn't have invited you here, since it was inevitable you would find out. The thing is that it's so normal for me is that I didn't think of telling you and I should have. You shouldn't have found out from someone else. I'm sorry about that."

"You really don't think that Grandma would like to know?" Jamie asked.

Charlie snorted. "I'm pretty sure that she'd love to know everything I do, but that's just another reason why I left home. She can be a little ... overbearing, but it's more than that. This is my life. It's no one's business who I shag or who I like. It's-"

"Private," Jamie finished with a sigh, before sitting down next to his uncle. "I can understand why you don't want to share it with them. I don't want to share most of my life, but that doesn't exactly work well. Still, you should have told me. I'm here and people talk. They talk about me and you, Charlie. They think... Mikkel thought-"

"That we're lovers." It was Charlie's turn to finish Jamie's sentence. "I know, Jamie, but it was the only way. Let me tell you the whole story, okay? I"m not going to keep anything from you. Your mum owled me, she often does, telling me all about Harry and all of you. She told me about the problems you were having back home, making a decision, having everyone nagging you. She didn't ask me if you could stay. I offered."

"Why?" Jamie asked, even more confused.

"Because I could relate to that. Your Uncle Bill was perfect. Top grades, record OWLs and NEWTs, Head Boy, good looks. He had it all. I was his not-so-good copy, but I was great on a broom," he said with a smile. "I loved flying. Everyone was sure that I was going to join the league. I could have had any team I wanted, or almost every team, but I felt like I couldn't breathe, with everyone on top of me trying to tell me where I should go. It's why I left. I didn't become a keeper because I planned it. I became a keeper because I was escaping England. Don't get me wrong; I love it, and I don't regret my choice at all, but no one should make the choice because people are pressing them." Charlie reached over and squeezed Jamie's shoulder. "You need to decide what you want without any pressure."

"I still don't understand why you wouldn't tell them."

"Because you're Jamie here. They don't know who you are. This is Romania; people aren't in love with your father and on the reserve we don't get the sort of magazines where your face is on the front cover constantly. People don't know who you are, so they assume that you are some kid I'm shagging," he said with a shrug. "It's really not that important if it stops them from asking who you really are. You are completely free to be yourself here."

All of his anger disappeared, glad that someone was thinking about him when he didn't have the energy to do so anymore. "Thank you."

"It's all right, Kid. You'll be fine; I'm sure. Now, let's get back out there. The work day isn't finished and you have some brooms to polish."

Jamie didn't seem to mind either. It would give him time to think.

* * *

Confusion seemed to be the theme of the next few days. While it was easier to explain the looks he kept getting now, Jamie wasn't sure how he felt about people thinking he was Charlie's lover. It was wrong, but it beat being asked for his autograph. His feelings for Charlie weren't any clearer. Charlie had lied to him, and yet Jamie couldn't help but feel grateful that someone understood what it had been like and was actually thinking about him, instead of pressuring him into some career he wasn't even sure he wanted.

Befuddlement seemed to increase when he saw the looks that he was getting from this one keeper, Luca. Luca was from Romania, but spoke a very good English, proper to the extreme, with no contractions and a thick inflection. He was in his mid twenties, with a deep voice, wavy brown hair and grey eyes. He stared at everyone with such an intensity that you wondered if he could really see your soul through your eyes. Those looks were normal and directed to everyone, but when he looked at Jamie, there was more. Luca didn't seem to wonder about Jamie's relationship with Charlie or what Jamie's soul was like, but he looked like he wanted to eat Jamie alive.

Those looks left Jamie disoriented. He wasn't gay; he'd never even thought about being gay. In fact, he didn't think he knew anyone that way gay, and of course, he'd been wrong about that, since he'd known Charlie. However, even he could tell that the looks he was getting from Luca had a sexual hint, a subtle invitation for things Jamie couldn't even imagine..

Jamie had been pretty good at avoiding the man, because what was he supposed to do? He wasn't gay. If he stared at man's bodies while in the air, it had more to do with flying and less to do with sexuality. And he was supposed to be Charlie's boyfriend, shouldn't that end Luca's attempts?

"He is not paying attention to you," Luca said, getting all too close to Jamie.

Guess not!

Jamie had been in the storage tent. It was where they kept all the ingredients they obtained from the dragons. Here people would sort out the ones meant for the reserve and the keepers and the ones that they would sell. The tent had all sorts of light filtering spells and cooling charms, keeping the ingredients protected. It was also a tent people avoided unless they had a specific job to do.

"You shouldn't be here," Jamie said, with a smile.

"You should not be here alone," Luca answered. "I have always known Charlie was a selfish bastard."

Anger flamed inside him. "He's not selfish."

"No, you are right. He is an amazing keeper, devoted to the dragons and the other keepers. He would do anything for anyone on this reserve, but he is a selfish lover." Luca moved closer, putting a hand on Jamie's hip. "I have been watching, yes? And I can tell that he is not taking care of you properly."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Jamie asked, curiosity taming his anger on Charlie's behalf.

"He does not spend time with you. When you are together, he does not touch you or hold you like he should," Luca explained.

"He likes to be discreet." He wasn't sure why he was even defending Charlie. It wasn't like they were really involved. He was his uncle, for Merlin's sake; of course, Charlie wouldn't be touching him, but he couldn't stand by and let Luca badmouth him. 

Luca laughed. "I would not let someone like you alone." He brushed Jamie's cheek, his fingers ghosting over Jamie's lips. "I would touch you and kiss you. I would make you know how much I want you." He leaned closer and kissed him softly. "I would make love to you under the stars and then you would not be so tense and angry all the time."

"I'm not," Jamie hissed.

"You are, and if he were an attentive lover, you would not let me kiss you," he said, triumphantly, before kissing Jamie again, lips pressing insistently, teeth nipping. His tongue pressed inside Jamie's mouth and mapped every ridge, explored it with confidence.

Jamie almost pushed him away, but Luca knew what he was doing, and soon Jamie was moving closer, fingers gripping Luca's shirt. He stepped closer until their bodies were pressed against each other. "I'm not sure we should do this," he whispered, even as he held onto the other man

"Do not worry. I will not tell Charlie."

Jamie almost snorted. Luca would not tell Charlie, because he'd be in deep shit, or that would be the reasonable presumption considering that everyone thought they were lovers. No, that wasn't Jamie's problem. The fact that he hadn't even considered having sex with a man before was, and he had no way how to tell Luca without blowing his cover, or looking like a complete tosser.

"Let me take care of you," Luca said, softly.

Jamie was too much of a Gryffindor to back down or to explain how this was his first time. He also couldn't stop Luca, not when Luca's hand was on his crotch rubbing him until he was hard. There was only one thing he could say. "Okay." After that, he followed Luca's lead, pretending to know what he was doing, but even his eventual orgasm didn't seem to help. In fact, he was more confused than ever.

* * *

His time at the reserve was almost over. He hadn't done much work with the dragons. Peeling potatoes and polishing brooms was still boring, but it did give Jamie time to think, and he made good use of his time. Of course if from time to time he did the thinking while watching the dragons fly, no one could really blame him. The dragons were magnificent, and his eyes only strayed to the keepers once in a while. Oh, who was he kidding! He looked at the keepers most of the time.

They looked happy, completely at peace with themselves in a way he never experienced. Nothing seemed to touch them when they were in the air. Nothing could divide them. They were a sort of family and no one judged each other.

Did he want a life like that?

As much as he found it awesome, he didn't think he could live with this anonymity for the rest of his life. He liked people and clubs, he didn't even hate the reporters on occasion, especially when a great picture of him appeared in the papers. Most of all, this wasn't what he liked. His best time was spent taking care of the brooms, taking them up in the air and faking moves, anticipating imaginary bludgers.

He loved Quidditch!

Maybe, they'd always compare him to his mother, but then again, she'd only played for a few years, and he planned on playing for a long time. He'd make his mark and he'd make them forget who his mother was. He supposed he had found his answer after all. However, this trip had brought up a different numbers of questions.

For the past week, he had focused on his uncle - no, Charlie. It was much easier thinking of him that way. Charlie wasn't young anymore, almost fifty. For Jamie, that was almost ancient, but he didn't look ancient the way his parents did. He was fit, confident, and more than that, everything he did screamed of sex.

So maybe, he was exaggerating. He was a teenager after all and after that night with Luca, he couldn't seem to think about anything other than sex, but it seemed to him that every time Charlie got closer to someone or touched someone, you could feel his sexuality pouring off. How had he missed it before?

He was so immerse in his thoughts that he never saw Charlie coming. The darkness around them didn't help, but Jamie loved to sit under the stars. It was the one thing he rarely did at home.

"Knut for your thoughts?" Charlie asked as he joined Jamie who was sitting on the ground, in front of their tent. "Is this because you're going home in two days? You can stay longer if you like."

Jamie shook his head and then grinned. "I think I know what I want to do."

Charlie grinned back. "Do you, now? So what are you going to be?"

"I want to play Quidditch. That's what I really like. I watched you and the others in the air, and everyone else was looking at the dragons, but I was looking at the fliers, the way they moved, how they could have used a skill for a play, I was imagining games," he said.

"So the dragons are nice, but the Quidditch is better." Charlie clapped Jamie's back. "Good for you, Kid. The important thing is knowing what you want and doing it, no matter what anyone tells you, and if your father thinks that you should be an Auror, he can come and talk to me."

"Will you defend my honour?" Jamie asked, cheekily.

"I was thinking about getting him drunk and letting him walk toward the dragons. It's safer for me."

Jamie snorted. "Right, let's not duel with the famous Harry Potter when you can get him drunk. Are you sure you aren't a Slytherin? You're pretty sneaky."

"Oy, why are you insulting me now?" Charlie leaned back and propped himself on his elbow. He looked at Jamie with a serious expression on his face. "If he gives you a hard time, I will defend your right to choose what you want to do. So have you picked a team as well, or did your revelation end with Quidditch?"

Jamie nodded. "I'll take the reserve position with the Montrose Magpies."

"Reserve? But I thought you got offered starting positions," Charlie said.

"I know, but the Magpies are the best team. They have a history of winning. They don't need James Potter to be famous. They already have their sponsors and fans. They wouldn't take me unless I was good enough to play with them," he said. "Unlike some of the other team, who would use my name to make money. I'd never be able to play without that cloud over my head. Instead with the Magpies, I can show them how good I am and earn that spot on the starting team."

"You have a good head on your shoulder. I know you don't need my blessings or anything, but for what it's worth, I think you're making the right decision."

Jamie didn't answer, but stared out into the dark. The stars were out and the moon was almost full in the sky. Jamie barely saw any of that now that Charlie was sitting next to him.

"Something is still bothering you, though. What is it?" Charlie asked.

"Not really bothering.... This trip made me think a lot."

"Something you aren't used to, is it?"

Jamie sniggered, but still elbowed Charlie. "I think plenty, just not this kind of thinking."

Charlie laughed. "Not fair. I can't hit you in this position."

"Who said I have to play fair?" Jamie answered with a grin.

"Now, who's acting like a Slytherin?" Charlie kept his eyes on Jamie, but without any pressure at all. "So what kind of thinking are you doing? Unless you don't want to talk about it, and that's fine too."

Jamie shrugged. "I don't know. I guess it's fine." He picked up a pebble and tossed it, watching it roll down the small incline. "I had sex with a man," he said without thinking.

"I see. Is this a normal occurrence or is this new?" Charlie asked, calmly.

"It's... it was the first time."

"Here on the reserve?"

Jamie nodded again. "I'm not going to tell you who," he rushed to say.

"I didn't ask you," Charlie replied. "What you do is your business as long as you're doing it for the right reasons."

"Are there wrong reason to have sex?" Jamie asked, sniggering.

"Yes, if you're doing because of expectations or because you want to be like someone else."

"You're lecturing."

"No, I"m answering your question, Jamie. You asked me and I told you. It's as simple as that." Charlie turned to his side, head propped on his hand. "Are you all right?"

"I think so. It was strange. Not the... you know? But thinking that it was a bloke. I always thought that I would get married, have children. The usual."

"Like every Weasley."

"Almost like every Weasley. You haven't done any of that."

"No, I haven't, but that doesn't mean that you have to do the same thing," Charlie pointed out.

Jamie leaned back, propping himself on his elbows and turned his head to look at Charlie Anyone watching them from afar would think that they were lovers sharing secrets; it still didn't bother Jamie one bit. "It was... I don't know... weird? I mean I've done meaningless sex before, but this was- He tried to make it sound like it meant something, like it was personal, but it wasn't."

"Luca is upset, because I turned him down, and I'm sorry that you got caught in the middle," Charlie said with a sigh.

"I never said-"

"You don't have to. I know the people here, I know who's gay and straight, and I know who'd go after someone they think is my lover," Charlie answered. "I know it was him, so you don't have to tell me anything, but that- it's not how things have to be, Jamie. I know some people think that being gay is an opportunity to be promiscuous or not to care about your partner, but that's not true. Being gay or bi or even straight means whatever you want it to mean. You do what's right for you, and don't do what you think your parents, grandparents, me or the press would want. Do what feels right here," he said, pressing a hand on Jamie's chest.

Jamie listened to every word, watching Charlie as he spoke. He could see the concern in his face, the worry in his voice. A week of watching Charlie was catching up with Jamie, leaving him confused and scared, but Charlie's words were making it better, were making him feel loved and cared for. "Anything that feels right?" he asked.

Charlie smiled and nodded. "Yes, you'll know what's right."

Jamie truly hoped so as he rolled toward Charlie and kissed him. His hand rested on Charlie's cheek as he tried to get closer, his tongue trying to coax Charlie's lips apart, but the solid hand on his chest pushed him away.

"What are you doing, Jamie?"

"You said to do what feels right, and this-" he said, waving between them. "This feels right. You're the first person that has taken the time to listen to me, to help me, to care about what I want as opposed to what you want. This felt like the right thing."

"God, Jamie. This isn't- I'm your uncle."

"So? It's just biology. It has nothing to do with this," Jamie said.

Charlie sighed. "You're confused. You were unhappy at home, and here you've found your answers, maybe to questions you didn't know you had, but I am the wrong answer. You'll leave in two days and you'll think back and know how absurd this is."

"You're just scared, because I'm your nephew, or maybe Luca is right, maybe you really don't give a damn about others."

Charlie smiled sadly. "I hope you know me better that than, and this is you being angry. I care for you and that's why I'm not going to let you do something stupid, no matter how it feels good at the moment." He ruffled Jamie's hair. "Go get some sleep. I'll be inside in a bit."

Jamie got up, looking annoyed, it was the first time since he'd gotten here that he felt like Charlie was treating him like a kid - just the way his parents did. Maybe Charlie was right, maybe he was confused, maybe Luca had been right, maybe Charlie was a jerk after all. He scowled at Charlie before he disappeared into the tent.

* * *

"You got everything?" Charlie asked. The tension inside the tent was palpable. The past two days had been marked by grunts and avoidance. No matter how much Charlie had tried to act normally, Jamie wouldn't respond. Rumours were already flying around the reserve, but Charlie ignored them. He was more concerned with his nephew.

"Yes," Jamie mumbled, as he stuck the last shirt into his trunk.

"Okay, I'll walk you to the Portkey area," Charlie said.

"You don't have to," Jamie answered.

"I don't have to do a lot of things, but I want to. I'd like to do this for you."

"You've done enough."

Sweet Merlin, how did parents deal with children? Charlie was losing his patience, although admittedly he didn't have much. He grabbed Jamie's shoulders. "You listen to me. You're not going to pull this crap on me. You can't be upset because I didn't let you kiss me. That's not how it works. You've gotten everything you want in your life, but guess what? You can't just go around and tell people that they should be with you."

"That's not what I did," James answered, angrily.

"That's exactly what you're doing. You are angry with me because I wouldn't kiss you. Tell me one reason why I should have kissed my nephew," Charlie pressed. "We were pretending, you are my nephew, you didn't even know you liked men. Suddenly you want to make out and I should let you. Why?"

Jamie stared at Charlie for a few long moments and then lowered his eyes. "Because I wanted to."

Charlie sighed, and put his arms around Jamie. "You'll be fine, Jamie, but you need to slow down. You don't have to do everything now. You don't have to prove anything to anyone. Take your time with your new experiences and enjoy them." He pulled back and clapped Jamie's arm. "Write to me, tell me what you do-"

"Everything?" Jamie said, with a smirk.

"I don't need those details, but tell me what you're doing. No judgment from me, and then we'll talk at Christmas."

Jamie nodded. "All right, but I'll still want to kiss you."

Charlie chuckled. "We'll see, Jamie; we'll see."

* * *

Jamie hadn't written as quickly as he had promised. When he returned home, he accepted the Magpies offer, and then training started, and he barely had any time with his friends. The frenzy that accompanied the beginning of the season was something else Jamie had not been prepared for. There were shirt presentations, sponsors presentations, interviews with reporters. It seemed like he never had time for himself, and then the games started.

Life changed radically and Jamie found that he had no one to talk to, no one that would understand him, no one other than Charlie.

* * *

24 September, 2020

Dear ~~Uncle~~ Charlie,

I'm sorry that I didn't write sooner. Things have been crazy here. Do you even get the Prophet there? I guess not since people didn't notice who I was. I hope that at least you get to read about the games. We won the first two games. I say we, but I didn't get to play. At least coach won't make me play just because of my name. It's... a bitch. I kind of wanted them to make me play regardless of the reason, even if I said the opposite.

Maybe you were right. Just a little. I'm used to getting my way, but I'm training hard, and I'm getting better, building up so I can play with the pros.

Life outside of the games is even crazier. They know how to party here, and players are treated like God. I won't have to worry about anyone wanting to shag me because of Dad. Most groupies are more interested in the players than the Head Auror. It's sort of nice.

There might have been some girls and a boy- a man. It was much different than Luca. I don't know if it was the right thing to do, but at least it didn't feel weird. He was -- I wouldn't say better, but I felt like he knew that it was me and not making a point.

How are things in Romania? Is it cold already? What about you? Are you meeting any boys?

Well, I guess I've asked too many questions all ready. I hope to hear from you soon.

Love,  
Jamie

* * *

_26 September, 2020_

_Jamie,_

_Are you kidding, of course I get the Prophet out here, we might be on the other side of the world but we're not heathens. Okay, maybe most of us are and we don't really get the paper, but your mum makes sure to send me all the important bits, including anything about your new and exciting Quidditch career._

_I'm glad you're still training hard, you'll earn that spot on the starting team before too long I'm sure, James Sirius Potter or not. And it will feel that much better to know you got it on your own skill and not your name._

_So long as you keep watch on yourself and what you're doing, make sure you're doing it all for the right reasons you should enjoy the acclaim that comes along with being on the best team in the league._

_Things here are the same as they always are. It's well past cold all ready, but we're used to that sort of thing around here. I'm working hard as always, one of these days I'll put Serghei out of his job - it's all a matter of making them see how brilliant I am, but until then I'll live._

_Take care, good luck at the next match._

Love,  
Charlie  


* * *

7 October, 2020

Dear Charlie,

Did she send you the paper? I hope she did. The day you answered me, we had our match against the Falcons and you know how they play. Let's just say that Slytherins dream to be as evil as them, if you don't know. Our chaser was hit (in a very illegal play, I might add) and I got to finish the game. The last game was against the Canons (yes, Uncle Ron was crying) and Coach let me play for a good hour. Yes, I know we were already winning - like, a million to nothing and it's not a spot, but I still got to play and it was amazing.

I don't know how you do it there. The summer wasn't bad, but I can't imagine being cold and in a tent all year all. You lot spend too much time outside and magic or not, it can't be fun when the snow and wind starts. Maybe I'm too spoilt, but I like to live in a house.

Speaking of homes, I've moved out from Godric's Hollow. I love my parents, but we would have killed each other. I can't say that I like doing chores. Having a mother and a house elf is so much more convenient. I think I'll leave Mum where she is and try to get a house elf. Maybe if I beg enough, I'll get it as a Christmas present.

I know, I'm dreaming. Then again, so are you if you think you are taking Serghei's job. That man is likely to hit you with that cane of his if you even say aloud. So unless you're into kinks (or old, married men) I wouldn't suggest it.

I... I've met this man. He's... amazingly normal. He's not a player, an Auror, rich or famous. He works for the British and Irish Quidditch League, at the ministry. We went out a few times, like real dates. It was strange, especially because it was in the Muggle world, but I want to be sure about what I like before telling my parents.

This is normal and safe, but I still think about that kiss. Is it really wrong? I know you are my uncle, but we never had that relationship. You were barely there, and now... I just think about you a lot. I wanted you to know that.

Love,  
Jamie

* * *

10 October, 2020  
Jamie,

Yes, your mum sent me the paper, so I've heard all about your recent displays on the field. I have to say, even if you were ahead by a million points, from the sounds of it, you played great. Maybe you'll even get a chance to play today if you're lucky. One of these days I'll have to come out and see you play for myself instead of getting these second hand reports from the paper and your mum. Maybe when you're on the starting line up I'll make a point to come out.

It's gotten colder since I wrote you last, but I've been out here long enough that it's not too terrible. You spend a few decades living in a tent and you learn how to perfect warming charms. We have a few tricks of the trade as well, sure you don't want to reconsider a career as a dragon keeper? I'll tell you all about them.

First a career and now you've gone and moved out of your parent's home? It's almost like I was a good influence on you or something. I think you could probably survive without a house elf, though it never hurts to ask, even if you're dreaming.

Don't worry, I've worked with Serghei long enough to know that you never joke about taking his job where he can hear you. I value my life after all (and all of my bits).

Amazingly normal sounds like it could be just the thing for you, I'm glad you're taking some time to figure things out for yourself. You think you'll end up introducing him to the family at some point?

I don't think it's wrong to think about that kiss, there was a lot going on at the time - I think it's only natural to think about it. Make sure you're thinking about what's real and there in front of you, too.

Love,  
Charlie

* * *

19 October, 2020

Dear Charlie,

So I didn't get the play last week, but this past week I got to play for almost an hour. I'm itching to play, but Coach says that he's seen too many eighteen year olds burn too quickly. I get the feeling that he really isn't planning on letting me play full games until next season when Sullivan retires. Did you know that I'm not very patient? I have to remind myself on a daily basis that telling the Coach to screw himself isn't going to help.

Tricks? Why do I get the feeling that I would enjoy learning how to warm up with you a great deal? If that wasn't what you mean, then don't tell me. I like the idea that maybe you're thinking about it too, and no, it's not because I was confused. It's because it felt right. I know you didn't believe me, maybe still don't, but I know that it's true.

Impatient, stubborn and ready to fight for what I want. I'm sure Mum would disagree that you are a good influence, but I might have to disagree with her. You know if you come to see the game, you can always stay at my place, or even at Christmas. I know the Burrow gets crowded for the holidays.

For the record, I don't plan to bring him to Christmas dinner or introducing him to Mum and Dad. How can I when I'm still thinking of someone else? Normal might be good for me, but I don't think I know what to do with it. He is - boring. I've tried, really tried, because it really would be good and I could tell the world about him, but the truth is that I'm bored out of my mind. I'm planning to break it off with him, because if I have to sit through another dinner discussing mundane things, I might hex him.

I have to go now. Coach is calling us for practice. I speak to you soon.

Love,  
Jamie

* * *

23 October, 2020

Jamie,

I think you're probably right about telling the coach to screw himself being a bad move for your career. Just remember this is all part of what you wanted, to earn your spot on the team, not just to be given a free pass because of who your father is. Just remember how waiting to earn a full time spot on the team is so much more fun than peeling potatoes for a year - you'll survive this.

Think what ever you like about my tricks, I'm sure you'd enjoy them no matter what you're imagining (though I have a very good idea what you're thinking, and honestly I can't believe you think I'd suggest something like that).

I might end up taking you up on your offer for a place to stay when I'm visiting for Christmas, if it's still available then. Mum and Dad mean well, but even though it's been years since I've lived at home, it's like nothing has changed when I stay with them. I think Mum still expects me to come home one day and tell her I've finally found someone to marry and I'm going to leave that horrible dragon reserve behind. She never was much of a fan of that career path.

So maybe next time, instead of normal, you try something a bit different? You're young and you have plenty of time to decide what you like, you don't have to make up your mind for certain about anything yet - no matter what the rest of the family might tell you. Just like picking your job, you can't let them pressure you into something you don't really want, you'll only make yourself miserable in the end.

Here's hoping you get in a few minutes at your next match!

Love,  
Charlie

* * *

3 November, 2020

Dear Charlie,

Sure, you had to go and mention the potatoes. Everything seems more fun than that. Listening to my dad talk about the importance of constant vigilance is more fun than potatoes, so now you can understand how much I despised peeling potatoes.

I did average three hours and forty-six minutes in the past two games, but who's counting, right? The game with Puddlemere United went on for ten hours and twenty-one minutes, so all players were replaced at one time or another. Things like food and rest are sort of necessary. I also scored five times against United, considering that we were losing before that, the reception was pretty good. I even got to do plenty of interviews about that.

I wish you'd been here to see me play. Are you taking off for your birthday? It's Saturday, and there's no guarantee I'll play, and yes, I know that it's more than a month away, but if you want to come for a few hours, maybe go for a pint afterwards, I can get you tickets. The family used to come to all the games at the beginning, but now every Saturday is a bit boring for them, so they won't even have to know. We don't want Grandma to think that you're moving to England with that imaginary wife of yours.

You can tell me all about your tricks in person, should you decide to come since you seem to think that I would never be able to imagine what you are really suggesting. You know you are very good at avoiding the subject and never telling me anything personal about you. You always ask about me, the people I meet, the boyfriends I might have, the decisions that I make, but when I ask about you, then silence.

You won't crush my heart if you tell me that you're dating. I might not like it, but I'd understand. You also haven't told me if you think about that kiss. Do you ever think about what could have happened if you hadn't stopped me?

I'd try to find some kind of way to end this letter in a way that fits the rest of what I've written, but asking about sex doesn't really lead well to polite conclusions, so I'll leave it here.

Love,  
Jamie

* * *

7 November, 2020

Jamie,

What am I here for, if not to give you a little perspective from time to time? Trust me I know all about what it's like to hate peeling potatoes, I did it myself when I started here.

I'm not sure what I'm doing for my birthday yet, though it probably will including taking the day off and a round of drinks at the very least. It's not nearly as exciting getting older once you're my age, so you can understand my not making any big plans just yet, though I might consider coming up for the chance to see you play, especially if Mum doesn't have to know - or else she'll try and make me stay all the way through Christmas, and I want to see you play, but not that much.

I don't think you realize just how much more interesting your life is than mine. Things don't change that often around here, and there is only so many times I can tell you about Serghei trying to kill someone with that cane of his before it gets old. But no, I'm not dating - I never really was the dating type. Oh there's been several prolonged encounters over the years, but dating on a reserve is always troublesome.

I have thought about the kiss. (Can we really even call that a kiss?) And I've even thought ~~a lot~~ about what might have happened if I hadn't stopped you. I still think it was best that it was stopped before anything did happen, you're still my nephew, even if we haven't seen much of each other throughout the years.

So, do you have a less normal boyfriend these days?

Love,  
Charlie

* * *

27 November, 2020

Dear Charlie,

I'm sorry I didn't write for so long. Things have been insane. The team went to Dubai for friendlies. Some rich person invited the best teams for a championship. Four teams, five games, we got paid a fortune too, and I got to play, AND we won the trophy. Yes, it doesn't mean anything, but I played two full games, including the final. It was awesome.

Since you haven't decided about your birthday, I'm sending you two tickets, in case you want to bring someone, although I'll be selfish and say that I'd rather you didn't. I won't tell anyone, and we can go out afterwards or we can have a beer or ten at home. It's your birthday so you get to decide how to spend the day.

Yes, we can call it a kiss. Lips met, eyes were closed, there was touching; definitely a kiss. You think it's not a good idea, but you can't give me a reason other than we're related. In fact, your idea that I was confused works even less now. However, to answer your question, I don't have a boyfriend. I had a fling with a player for a few weeks, but players have big egos and we knew pretty soon that we wouldn't have lasted without killing each other. Still, it was interesting while it lasted. There was silk involved, in case you wanted details.

Love,  
Jamie

* * *

30 November, 2020

Jamie,

You're lucky your mother keeps me up to date on what you're doing, otherwise I might have thought you'd forgotten all about your sad uncle out in Romania freezing his arse off in the cold.

And what do you mean the games don't count? You played in two of them and you really got a chance to show people what you can do, and not just when your team had the lead well in hand. I think that counts for a lot. The games might not have had any pull in the league, but people really got a chance to see you play for once, and that counts for something; don't sell yourself short. Besides there was a trophy!

You know since you sent these tickets, I suppose I will come up to see you play. I can't think of a better way to spend my birthday down here. How about we grab something to eat after the match, depending on the timing, and then go back to your place, you can show me how a player on the best team in the league lives.

Okay, so we'll call it a kiss. And I'm not sure why our being related isn't actually a more compelling reason for this being a bad idea to you, though I have more if you need them. The first of which is that I'm old enough to be your father, oh and I'm pretty sure your actual father would murder me. I don't know about you but I like living.

Silk huh? I didn't know you were into that kind of thing. Always preferred something with a bit more bite to it myself.

Love,  
Charlie

* * *

Jamie had been on pins and needles since getting Charlie's reply. He had been tempted more than once to answer back, asking what Charlie liked, and point out how he couldn't dislike the idea of the two of them together that much if he was still talking about sex. However, he decided that it was much better to discuss this in person.

Game day was even worse. The game was going by pretty quickly, at least until Coach sent him in. His nerves were more jittery than the first time he had played, too conscious that Charlie was watching and wondering how he would rate the performance. Once in a while he looked in the general direction of where Charlie would be sitting, even though Jamie couldn't really see him. He could have gone closer but his stomach was already in knots to risk a better look, so he played the game, scored a few times and finally they made it to the end of the game.

Jamie rushed to the locker room, showered and got changed in record speed. He put everything in his bag and started to walk out.

"Where are you going, Potter? We have a party to go to," one of his team mates said.

Jamie grinned. "Not this week; got plans."

A chorus of 'awww' and 'he's got a girl' came from the players, but Jamie didn't let them bother him. Instead he chuckled as he flipped two fingers at them. "Enjoy your night, ladies." He winked at them and left the locker room.

He Apparated to Charlie's seat, glad that his uncle was still there. "Hey, happy birthday."

"Hey, Kid," Charlie grinned at him. "Didn’t expect you to be out quite so soon, don’t you lot have some kind of gathering after the games? Or do you save all the talking for how brilliant you were for practices during the week?" He chuckled.

"If I went out to the pub with my team mates, you'd have been waiting here until the morning," Jamie answered, trying not to pay attention to the 'kid'. "I know you said that we could have gone out, but I have a surprise for you back at the house, and this way no one will know that you've been here. We don't want a picture to pop up and then Grandma will kill us both."

Jamie stood up and offered Charlie a hand. "Come on, I can Apparate us to the house."

"A surprise?" Charlie asked and smirked when he took Jamie’s hand, which just made Jamie grin. "A birthday surprise perhaps?" he asked. "I suppose we can go back to yours instead of going out, I’m not in a hurry for any of the family to catch on that I’ve come home for the night and didn’t see any of them."

Jamie waited for Charlie to get up before Apparating them outside his house. He opened the door and let Charlie in. "You can go in the drawing room if you like. I want to put my gear away." He lit the torches in the stairs and walked to his room. After that, Jamie went to the kitchen. It took a little longer than he thought, because even takeaway was more complicated then it seemed when he had to use dishes and silverware. He lived by himself, so food came in containers or served by waiters in restaurants. However, finally he had the table in the dining room all set up, and not just the plates, but real napkins and a candle in the middle of it. Hopefully, Charlie would find it romantic and not cheesy.

He looked at the room again to make sure that everything was to his liking. He doused the torches and lit the candle on the table. "Hey, Charlie," he called out. "Can you come here a moment?"

"Sure sure." Charlie called from the other room, and walked toward the voice. "It looks like your mum gave you plenty of pictures when--" He stopped speaking when came through the door to see what Jamie had done, and Jamie really hoped that was a good thing and not because he was being a colossal idiot.

"So," Charlie said, recovering after a moment to take everything in. "This is the surprise?"

"No, this is dinner," he said with a grin. "I'm sure you had one or two at the reserve. I even have potatoes so you feel at home," James joked. "However, there's more than potatoes. I know shocking." He pointed to the chair. "Come on, sit and let's eat."

"Ah dinner, is that what you kids call it these days?" Charlie smirked, and seemed like he'd gotten over the shock of coming into the room to find a candlelit dinner waiting for him. That was good, or Jamie hoped it was - if Charlie really minded he would have said something. "I think those two weeks you spent with those potatoes really have warped you, we do eat other things in Romania, in case you've forgotten."

"Oh, then next time we'll have some fancy dish, you know the sort that had less meat than your fist and is garnished with all sorts of weird things," Jamie said. "I'm sure you'd love that. Now, can we get to the food before it gets cold? You don't want to ruin a good steak."

Jamie was glad that they started to eat. Charlie didn't mention the candles or the fact that there was a real tablecloth with real napkins on the table. Instead, Charlie told him about the people Jamie had met in Romania, while Jamie told Charlie stories about his team mates and even the family that Charlie saw so rarely.

After dinner, Jamie suggested that they go back to the drawing room. He disappeared again, coming back with coffee. It had taken him more than a few tries to get the Turkish coffee just like at the reserve. He'd even gotten the coffee from there as opposed to the British blends. He also had a cake floating behind him. "Do you know that I have no idea how you usually celebrate your birthday?"

"Well that's not surprising." Charlie replied, grinning, "Considering I've celebrated the majority of my birthdays in Romania when I can get away with it. Mum makes me come home every few years though, but even then they're not much like this." Charlie craned his neck to look behind Jamie seeing the cake floating there and chuckled. "Well apart from the cake, there is always cake." It was, after all, some what of a Weasley family tradition, to have great cakes on one's birthday.

"Maybe we can start a new tradition. Quidditch and cake." Jamie was hoping that it would include a lot more. To be honest, he didn't even know why he'd become so obsessed with Charlie -- his uncle. Oh, he might not say it, but he was well aware of that little fact. Still, it wasn't enough to stop him. 

Jamie had tried to make his obsession go away by dating other people, shagging other men and women, but his thoughts always went back to Charlie, who in two weeks had changed his world and shown him how to live his life, who had supported him without making judgements, and who at forty-eight looked bloody fantastic, especially when wearing trousers tight around the arse, and Jamie wanted to see him out of those clothes. "We can even include presents in this new tradition."

He put the coffee and cake down and then Apparated to his bedroom, returning moments later with a box. "Go on, open it." It had taken him forever to find something for a man who spent most of his life in a reserve. Their new uniforms finally gave him the idea.

Charlie opened the box, and looked at the content with a tiny smile on his face. "A robe? It doesn't seem like the sort of present you'd give."

Jamie laughed. "That's because I'm more interested in getting you out of your robe," he said, trying to sound casual, but he could feel the heat spreading from his chest to his face as he imagined being able to take Charlie's clothes off. "It's not just a robe. It's a new fabric they are using for the Quidditch uniforms. It's spelt to adjust to the weather. It impervious to rain and snow, keeps you warm when it's cold out and becomes lighter if you start sweating. The team keeps the spells secret, but they agreed to make me one in plain black. I hope you like it."

The look Charlie gave him for his comment was brief, but Jamie took notice of it none the less, before Charlie was examining the new robe now that Jamie had told him why it was special. "This is brilliant, really Jamie." Charlie grinned at him, and he couldn't help but be pleased. "You might just save me from freezing to death this winter," he teased.

"Yes, because this is your first year in Romania," Jamie answered, with a shameless grin on his face. "I'm really glad you like it," he added in a softer tone. He hesitated for a moment, mentally arguing with himself why this was a bad idea, but then he decided that he was a Gryffindor and shouldn't be afraid.

He put a hand on Charlie's thigh as he leaned closer, not slowing down or giving Charlie to time to stop him, before their lips met again, just like they had in Romania, but this time Jamie wasn't shy or confused. He wanted this and would have it.

It was different this time though, and not just because Jamie was sure he wanted this. Charlie didn't push him away for starters, and while he didn't kiss him back at first Jamie thought it was a good sign that Charlie hadn't started reminding him why this was a bad idea again. And so he continued to kiss him - putting to use a few of the tricks he'd learned over the last few months, hoping to show Charlie how much he really wanted this.

When Jamie was able to wring a sort of strangled groan from Charlie, was when things really changed though. Charlie wound an arm around his waist and pulled him closer, and rather than letting Jamie direct the kiss as he had been Charlie took control of it and all Jamie could do was fist a hand in Charlie's robe and hold tight.

Oh it was better than Jamie had thought it would be, to have Charlie actually kissing him. He'd been right; despite all of Charlie's protests, he wanted this - how could he not when he was kissing Jamie like this? It was easy, though his fingers felt thick and clumsy, to start opening Charlie's robe. He needed to touch him, he splayed his hand wide against Charlie's chest when he finally got the robe open, and Charlie's warm skin against his open palm had him eager for more.

But when Jamie started pushing, trying to rid Charlie of the robe that was only getting in the way, Charlie stopped, pulling away from him, panting eyes dark. "What?" Jamie asked, licking his lips glancing occasionally at the thin strip of skin he had revealed when he wasn't meeting Charlie's eyes.

"You know what." Charlie said, though perhaps with a bit less conviction this time than he had in the past. "We can't do this."

"Why?" Jamie asked, confused. "You want this and so do I. I don't see why we can't."

Charlie covered Jamie's hands with his and slowly took them away from his robe, almost as if the separation hurt. "There are plenty of reasons, Jamie, but they boil down to one simple thing: you're my nephew."

"That's doesn't mean-"

Charlie brought a finger to Jamie's mouth. "It means something, even if you don't want to see it. Is this a one time thing? Because if that's what it is, then you are right, it doesn't matter, but I have a feeling that you want this to be more."

"And what about you? Do you want an easy shag or do you want more?" Jamie asked, defensively.

Charlie shrugged. "It doesn't matter, Jamie," he said, softly. "That's what I'm trying to tell you. We can't have anything more, and I'm not going to fuck you like you are some bloke I met in a pub. You're so much more than that for me."

"I still don't see why you you think-"

"Don't you? What are we going to do? Become boyfriends? Tell the family? Go out on dates? Don't you get it? We'd never be able to do any of the normal things that a couple gets to do. Maybe we could go out as uncle and nephew and even that would be strange, because we'd have to answer plenty of questions from your grandmother." Charlie rested his hands on Jamie's shoulders, much like he had done at the camp, trying to make him see reason. "We can never be that, and I will not ruin your life by letting you start a relationship that would be secret for its duration."

"Don't I get a say in this?" Jamie asked petulantly after a few moments. He hated that Charlie was making sense. He had thought about this for so long, and now here he was with what he'd wanted within his grasp and he couldn't have it.

"Of course you do, but I do too." Charlie reminded Jamie gently.

Jamie hadn't spent months thinking of this, just to give up so easily. He was a Gryffindor, after all, and bravery and foolishness went hand in hand. He moved quickly, straddling Charlie. "Everything you said is true, I'm not going to argue with you, but can you really be logical about this? Can you tell me that you don't want it? Of course not. You want this as much as me, and maybe it's not logical, not rational, but relationship seldom are. I'm not asking you for anything, not promising forever or the perfect relationship." He leaned forward and kissed his uncle, lips lingering against Charlie's. "Just tonight, and we worry about the rest tomorrow."

"That's not how it works."

Jamie kissed him again, deeper this time, holding onto Charlie like a lifeline. "I want you," he whispered, as his lips moved over Charlie's jaw. "I've wanted you for months." A nip of Charlie's lip. "I've dreamt of this, of being with you. I'm only asking you for tonight, nothing else. I'll never ask you for anything else." He pulled back and locked eyes with Charlie and waited.

"God." Charlie groaned, clutching at Jamie's arm, and Jamie knew he'd gotten what he wanted at that point, that Charlie wouldn't deny him. "If we're going to do this-"

"We are, there's no if." Jamie interrupted him, he didn't want Charlie to try and talk himself out of this, not when it was so clear they both wanted it.

"Then you're going to let me set the pace." Charlie continued like he hadn't heard Jamie interrupt him at all, but Jamie nodded, sudden and sharp, pulling at Charlie wanting to get his hands on him, to touch him the way he'd thought about for so long now. 

Charlie caught his wrist though, and pulled him back. "Let me." He pulled Jamie closer and kissed him, hard and without the doubts that had plagued them only moments earlier. All too soon, they had proof that this was different than any men they'd been with. It was so much better, hard in all the right ways and still soft, a tenderness born out of familiarity and love. Maybe it should feel wrong, maybe they should be horrified by their blood relationship, so many maybes, but neither thought about it, because it didn't feel wrong.

"God, Jamie." Charlie breathed right there against Jamie's lips, not pulling back far enough so that Jamie could really look at him, or gauge the way he was feeling. "Come on, I'm not twenty anymore, I can't do all of this standing up." He pulled back then and Jamie could see the teasing smirk on his face, and he rolled his eyes.

"You're not that old, and you're certainly not as run down as you'd like me to believe you are. Don't forget I've seen you working." He reminded Charlie, but Jamie hooked a finger in Charlie's jeans and started pulling him toward his bedroom

Charlie let himself be led to Jamie's bedroom, though Jamie got the idea that in the future (and why the hell was he letting himself think of anything beyond tonight - he'd promised, just tonight) Charlie wouldn't be nearly so docile.

"Let me take care of you for tonight," Charlie whispered.

Jamie couldn't help the curl of want that coiled itself inside of him at Charlie's words, he'd been waiting for this for so long and here they were. He couldn't wait any more. He let go of Charlie's jeans and turned around so they could get there faster, they could be naked and now. He wasted no time to get rid of his clothes and get into bed, and there, lying on his back, he watched Charlie - his uncle - and he wanted to forget, to stop thinking, but so much of his time had been filled with worries and thoughts about his family, it was hard to push all of it away so quickly, even when they were finally here with each other.

"Who's thinking now?" Charlie joked.

"Sorry."

Charlie shook his head. "Don't. There's nothing wrong with thinking about this, and if you change your mind--"

"No," Jamie rushed to say. "It's just... I wanted this, but I never thought we'd actually-- that you."

Charlie nodded. "I know. I didn't think I would have. either" He stretched over Jamie and kissed him again. "I shouldn't want to, but I do, and I'm going to take good care of you. Get on your stomach for me."

Jamie didn't hesitate, but instead did what Charlie was asking. 

"Just give me a moment." He disappeared, and when he came back, he was carrying a jar. Charlie straddled Jamie's thighs, his cock pressing against the crack of Jamie's arse, but that was the farthest thing in his mind at the moment. He opened the jar and scooped some of the lotion. As much as they both wanted this, it wasn't just a shag.

He began spreading the lotion over Jamie's shoulders, kneading the muscles there, working the knots out. "From the game?"

"Maybe," Jamie said hesitantly.

"Are you nervous?" Charlie asked.

Jamie shook his head. "No, not nervous. I-- just don't go."

"I'm not, Jamie. Just relax, okay?" he said as he kept working out the knots in Jamie's back

"God." It hurt and it felt good all at the same time, and Jamie just closed his eyes and took it.

Charlie worked Jamie's lower back, pressing hard, while he started to kiss Jamie's shoulders, nipping at the freckles there. "We're a matched set," he joked, well aware of his own freckles that had gotten even worse with years of sun exposure. "That's it, Jamie. Just feel, and stop worrying. I'm not going anywhere."

"No worrying." Jamie echoed, his voice quiet humming while Charlie rubbed his shoulders and down his back. He could do that now that Charlie was here and they were finally shagging, or Jamie wanted to shag. Charlie didn't seem in a hurry, though, content to massage Jamie's back. Jamie almost let out a cry of satisfaction when Charlie stopped, but when the fingers returned, they brushed over the crack of his arse, before moving down and working the lotion in the skin of his thighs and calves.

It was driving Jamie crazy.

"Charlie," he whined.

Charlie chuckled. "We're doing it my way," he said, and continued to do what he was doing. It wasn't until he was certain that he had covered Jamie's entire body that he spooned more lotion and kneaded the flesh of Jamie's arse, spreading the cheeks, while his fingers dipped into the crack, brushing over the opening. He wouldn't tease, but he wouldn't push either. He was taking his time with Jamie.

He kept the steady pressure over muscles hardened by flying, brushing against the opening, increasing the pressure until a knuckle slipped in without even trying. Charlie pressed deeper, slowly fucking Jamie with a single finger until the walls around it weren't clenching anymore.

"You're killing me here," Jamie complained. "Come on; you won't break me."

Charlie sniggered at Jamie's words. "Youth really is wasted on the young." He leaned down and kissed Jamie's neck. "I'm not done with you, yet. I'm going to have you begging before this is over."

Jamie looked over his shoulder with a cheeky smile on his face. "If it makes you go faster, I can beg now. I have no problem with that."

"Bitch, bitch, bitch," Charlie answered, grinning, but he didn't change his plans. Slowly, they got there. One digit, moving in and out, draining the tension and then watching it build up again, a new type of tension, driven by desire and lust instead than frustration. He kept the steady motion for a few more strokes, making his point, before finally adding another finger.

He slowed down the movements at first, building up once more like he had done with one finger and when Jamie was once again relaxed he curved his fingers just so until his nail could scrape over Jamie's prostate, while he kept one hand firm on Jamie's lower back.

"Jesus fucking Christ," Jamie swore when Charlie reached his prostate.

Charlie chuckled again. "Does it mean that you're ready for another finger?"

"No, it means that you're a bloody tease," Jamie answered, glaring at Charlie

"Well, if that's not what you mean, I don't have to--"

"Fuck no, yes... I mean I'm ready. I've been ready for ages."

Charlie didn't even comment on the huge exaggeration, especially considering how tense Jamie had been at the start. He watched as three fingers moved in and out of Jamie's body with complete ease. There was no resistance as his fingers opened him up slowly, but the air around them was changing, reminding Charlie what they were about to do.

He had tried to push it out of his mind, wanting to drag this out, but with the smell of sex all around them, it was hard to ignore his own erection, hard against his stomach. He didn't say anything when he finally stopped, there was no joking or teasing, because despite what Jamie had said, this hadn't been teasing, but about caring for this boy, who was young and family and Charlie should know better, but somewhere in the words of their owls, he had fallen for Jamie.

Charlie slicked his cock with more lotion. With a hand, he spread Jamie's arse and with the other, he guided his cock against the opening. He could feel Jamie's body reacting, opening up for him without any fears, sucking him in as he slowly sheathed himself, stopping when he was blanketing Jamie with his own body.

"You, all right?" he asked, voice straining with the need to move. Even though he knew the answer, he still had to ask.

Jamie groaned as Charlie pushed inside him, and Jamie remembered this was what he'd wanted at the start, before all of this had been so drawn out. He opened for Charlie, taking him in easily, fingers gripping uselessly at nothing while he was filled. The question pushed through the haze that filled his mind, where all he could think was want, want, want and Jamie nodded, the movement stiff and jerky. "Yeah," the strain in his own voice matching Charlie's. "Fuck me." He didn't know if he could have waited much longer now, not after all of that.

Charlie's fingers inched towards Jamie's, curling around them into tight fists. Charlie kissed Jamie's shoulder as he started to move, cock sliding unhurriedly, leaving Jamie's body with torturous slowness, before sinking in again, just as slow, denying both of them a quick relief.

Soft kisses peppered freckled-covered skin. There were no words, though. No need to profess love or promises about a tomorrow they couldn't really have, not in any conventional way.

"Let go, Jamie," Charlie whispered into Jamie's ear as he rocked his hips in the otherwise silent room, moving for what seems hours, steadily bringing them toward the edge.

Jamie nodded, almost without realizing it at Charlie's words warm in his ear, speech seemed to be beyond him by that point and all Jamie could do was cant his hips up pressing back into the slow unwavering rhythm set by Charlie, just taking whatever it was Charlie would give him and waiting, just waiting until he'd get the release Charlie had promised him. He didn't know how long they had been doing this, how long their bodies had moved together in this lazy dance, but he knew that he couldn't go on for much longer, feeling the edge of his orgasm threaten to spill over. "Charlie... I need--"

Charlie let go of Jamie's hand and reached under their bodies so that his fingers could close around Jamie's cock, fisting him with the same slow rhythm. "Do you want it enough to come?" he asked, voice cracking and yet if Jamie wasn't ready, then he'd slow down again and build them up again, because his plan hadn't changed: utter peace for Jamie, even if it was just for the night.

Jamie was pulled tight, worn down to just a few brilliant points of contact and he wasn't sure just how much more of this he could take. He needed to come, he could feel it all the way down to his bones. That need pulling at him each time Charlie pressed forward again.

And then Charlie wrapped a hand around his cock, those same sure fingers that had helped to work him into this state now pulling at his cock, pushing that need to come even further into the forefront of his mind. "Yeah." His voice came quietly, wavering with each pull of Charlie's well worn hand, fingers rough after years of the work they did and Jamie needed that kind of touch now.

"It's okay, Jamie; you can let go. Let me see you come." The words were murmured, voice breathy with desire, and it was Charlie's turn to fight and want, and use all his control to hang on, to wait until he could feel Jamie clench around his cock.

The sound of Charlie's voice in his ear made his stomach clench and pushed him that last bit of the way over that edge where Jamie had teetered so precariously for so long, until he gave into it, and it hit him hard, pleasure and release both coursing through his body taking out everything that had been winding him so tight recently. He swore, though the the words were halting and quiet, but he kept up a steady stream of curses until there was nothing left in him.

Charlie's prick was trapped into smouldering heat as Jamie clenched around him, and the desire that had been boiling inside his vein explodes, starting slow at the base of his spine and then exploding with increasing speed, orgasm pushing violently through him, leaving him completely sated as his hips stopped moving and he laid on top of Jamie.

Charlie stayed where he was, chest heaving, until he could breathe again. Only then did he move, groaning as his cock slipped out of Jamie's body. He reached for the wand and cleaned the come in his hand and their bodies.

He smiled as he pulled the covers from under Jamie, not wanting the other man to move more than necessary, and when they were free, he lay back down, half resting on Jamie as he pulled the covers tight around them and cast a warming spell before finally putting away his wand. "Feeling better?"

Jamie lay limp beneath Charlie and just drifted for several long minutes, listening to the sound of his racing heart and the heaving breaths he was taking until he got control of himself, both returning to a more sedate pace before Charlie was moving again, something that Jamie wasn't planning on doing for the next year or so.

"Much better," he agreed after a moment. Things didn't seem nearly as dire when he was sated and warm with Charlie pressed against his side. This - whatever it was - might still be a one night stand and they were still nephew and uncle, but for tonight Jamie could breathe easier and just relax. "You're amazing."

Charlie chuckled. "Go to sleep, Jamie. You can tell me how incredible I am in the morning."

* * *

There was a stirring and Jamie woke up, not even knowing why. When he opened his eyes, he could see Charlie's silhouette in the faint light of the early morning. "You're leaving all ready?" he asked sleepily, which was good, because it allows him to hide the hurt in his voice. Only one night and nothing else, that was what he had said, but that didn't mean that he hadn't hoped for more. "I'll see you at Christmas, then."

"Yeah," Charlie murmured, sitting on the edge of the bed pulling on socks and shoes. "I've got to get back, the dragons don't take kindly to being made to wait." He chuckled softly. Everything a bit quieter in these early morning hours, but all Jamie could think of was the night before, and now Charlie was leaving.

Charlie leaned back on an elbow, toward Jamie, causing the bed to dip and Jamie to move just a bit closer without really meaning to. "This was good, you know." He pressed his lips to Jamie's hair briefly before pulling back. "I'll see you at Christmas."

Jamie nodded, smiling now that Charlie sounded like Charlie despite everything. At least, neither one of them was freaking out. Of course, that said more about the insanity of their family than the validity of this relationship, if there was one. "I know you'll be back soon, but I'll still write, and you can stay here. The offer is still open and we don't have to... do this."

Reaching over, Jamie's hand slid over Charlie's back, hating that he was already dressed. "Let me know when you tell Grandma. I'll hide from her that day, taking away her baby for the holidays. I'll have to make it up to her somehow."

Charlie hesitated for a moment when Jamie touched him, but then he closed the distance between them once more and kissed Jamie. It wasn't like the kisses they had shared the night before, not like the kisses Jamie had used to try and convince Charlie to do this, but softer; it was nice all the same.

"I'll let you know next week what my plans are, and you'll get fair warning when mum gets the news so you can make yourself scarce." Charlie promised with a smirk. He glanced at the clock and sighed. "I've got to go, take care of yourself, Jamie," he said, before standing. "I'll be back soon."

"I'll be here," he said with a cheerfulness that seemed inappropriate after the night before and this early in the morning. Jamie's smile dropped and sighed. "Charlie? Just a night?"

"Yeah?" Charlie turned toward him again, seeking out Jamie's face in the dim morning light. There was another moment of hesitation, and then Charlie lay back down. His fingers brushed Jamie's hair off of his face and he chuckled. "You know you could never be just a night. That's always been the problem."

Jamie grinned. "I don't think it's a problem at all."

"Cheeky brat," Charlie kissed him. "I really have to go, now, but we'll talk."

"We'll figure this out, Charlie," Jamie said, with more confidence now.

"I know we will. See you soon and good luck on your next match." Charlie kissed Jamie once more, before getting up and disapparating to Romania.

* * *

_Epiogue_

In May, the Magpies clenched the title with a substantial lead over the second. Jamie's contract was renewed for three years with raise options. After that, Jamie spent some time with his family, and this time, there was no shouting or slamming doors. He spent time with his parents and grandparents, with uncles and aunts, but his thoughts were on someone else. Come June, he disappeared from the public eye. He told his family that he had the perfect place where the paparazzi wouldn't find him.

Jamie Apparated to Romania. This time people knew who he was. People might not know Harry Potter's son here, but they knew the faces of famous players. It didn't really matter, though, because no one thought that there was anything wrong if he was staying with his uncle to avoid the press.

He was settling in, when strong arms closed around him. He smiled and pressed back. "I missed you."

"I came to see you play three weeks ago," Charlie answered with a chuckle.

"Not the same." Jamie turned around and kissed the other man, hands fisting in Charlie's clothes, pulling at them. "I know, I know, you have work to do."

Charlie chuckled some more. "I do, but we have the next two months for us."

Jamie grinned. "Yes, no team, no team mates, no family and no press. It's perfect."

Their family still didn't know, the world could never know, but Charlie agreed. He would take this over anything else.

It truly was perfect.


End file.
